Joint construction



March 13, 1934.

l B. MILLIGAN JOINT CONSTRUCTION Filed April 26, 1930 Patented 'Mori i3, 1934 nniren Nsind instit? Lgld? Mlm CONSTRUCTION John E. hiiiligan, Coiumbus, Dhio, assigner to` The @Columbus Auto Parts Company, a corpora tion ci @hic emociona Api-ii ce, iosa, serrano. 447,450

c cintas. (ci. ees- 9my l rihis invention relam to joints particulier-ly of the ball and socket type.

The main objects of this invention are to loro vide an improved ball and socket joint which will be automatically self-adjusting to compensate for wear therein; to provide a construction of such joint in which a relatively large hearing surface is provided for the ball member; to provide a construction in which the center of the hail member will not be displaced when adiustment taires place due to weer of the parte; and to provide a construction which may he economically manufactured and easily and readily assembled,

An illustrative embodiment of invention is shown in the accompanying in which Fig. l is a view oft-my improved construction, partly in elevation and partly in section, tenen on the line l-l or" Fig.

Fig. 2 is a bottoni pien View of the eme.

3 is n view in plan ci the tvvo socket members which embrace the oeil roe-naher Fig. e is n sectional view teiten on the line iL-JE lvof 3.

Fig. 5 is a ton plan view oi the serniecyiindricai Wedge members which adjust the sociret rnenihers around the hall.

Fig. 6 is a View in side elevation oi the seine,

Heretoiore in the construction of neil and socket joints oi the automatically adjustable type itunes been customary to provide curved wedges having eccentrically positioned hail sects in their faces arranged to move circumierentiaiiy around the inner Walls oi the outer housing member. These eccentric Wedges are usually arranged to move in opposed directions and therefore considerable space must he left initially between their an preaching ends so as to provide for adjustment over a long periodoi use end weer.v

Rotation oi such eccentric wedges Wili'smft the center oi the hall member relatively to the outer housing and if the joint is used in an accurate assembly it will soon become out oi odjustment by reason of such movement of the hall-center; In my improved construction disclosed herein the hall member is emhrocm hy a noir o socket members which have a relatively large hearing area on the ball. These sachet members are in turn embraced hy a pair of substantially semicylindrical wedge members which ere axially slidable in the opening provided in the outer housing. Spring means are provided for urging the wedge members to press the socket members snugly around the bali. y

The movement of thewedge members is axially with respect to the annular opening in thehousine and the movement ofthe socket members is radially toward the center of the ball, .therefore the center oi the hall does not shift or displace with respect to its original position in the housing member.

.inthe construction shown in the drawing, an outer housing member 8 having a hollow interiorly threaded shank 9 thereon for receiving a tie rod or the like l0, is provided with an annular opening 1i therethrough having a cylindrical walL An inturned harige l2 is provided at the upper end of the opening il, thus providing an annular opening 13 through which projects a shank ld integrally formed on an inner bearing member or haii i5.

The hall i5 is positioned centrally within the nnnuler opening ii. with respect to its longitudinal axis and is embraced by a pair of inner intermediate or soclret members 16 and i7 which have outer surfaces le and i9, respectively, iorrned on a uniorni radius so as to be substansemif-cylindriced in shane. The inner sides oi the sociret members ere provided with hell seat socirets 2o end 2i, concentricailv :formed with resnect to their outer cylindrical sides.

Means ere provided for tightening the socket inernhers i6 and i7 around the hail l5 and coin= prise a pair of outer' intermediate or wedge meinhers 22 end 23 which have outer surfaces 2e and 25 respectively formed on a uniform radius, that is, substantially semi-cylindrical in shone, so as to nt the annuler opening il; and inner sur= races 2d and 27 respectively oi uniform radius, that is, oi. substantially cylindrical shone, so as to nt the outer sides of the socket members le and i7. diie axes oi the inner and outer surioces of the' outer intermediate or wedge inem-l hers are enaularly disposed with respect toeach other, thus forming wedge members having inner and outer cylindrical walls, the inner of which support the socket members in upward, outviardly claritin-g or dii/erging position es shown in, Fig. i oi the drawing.

The socket members 16 and 17 are trimmed od adjacent their ends as shown at 28 and 29 in Fig. d so that when in abutting position against the inturned nsnge 12 they rest on their medial points 30 or 3i, depending upon which end of the socket members is assembled in an upward position.

Means are provided for automatically moving the wedge members 22 and 23 axially `trithin the annular opening 11 toward the nenne 12 and comprise a helical compression spring 32, the

Sii'

upper end of which bears against e follower plate '110 

